5 Steps You Can Take to Make the Claim Process Smoother Called the 5 W’s

OH MY….. I have a claim. What do I do now?

5 steps you can take to make the claim process smoother called the 5 W’s

Who, What, When, Where, Why

• WHO: Who is involved?  Get names, contact information of all persons involved with the claim

• WHAT: What happened? Get a complete description of what happened that caused the claim. Was it a fire, a deer, a fall, a storm, etc.?

• WHEN: When did the loss occur? Date & time

• WHERE: Where did the loss occur?  Get full street address, county & or state. If Auto loss, did the vehicle get towed? Get name & address of towing company.  If injuries, which hospital?

• WHY: Why did this loss occur? Failure to yield, wild animal, storms, electrical, fire, slip and fall, etc.?

With answers to these 5 simple steps, you can submit the claim with your insurance carrier with confidence. Your carrier offers several options to streamline the process by offering “online” portals or mobile apps or phone in to file the claim. By using one of these options, you can also track the progress. See your policy for your carriers’ options in filing a claim.

Once the claim is submitted, you will be given a claim # (use on all correspondence) and an adjuster’s name & contact information.

It is always a good idea to maintain a file of all correspondence, bills, receipts, photos, police report, etc. that you can provide to the adjuster (as needed).

To have a claim is not fun, but with these 5 simple steps, your insurance adjuster will be able to take care of your needs and make the claims experience move swiftly to a resolution.